"Finally!" Naruto exclaimed when they arrived back at their hotel room after dropping Gobi and his host off at their house. "We're back and we can relax."

"Only for a little while, though," Sakura smiled. "We have to get the both of you ready for dinner."

"What?" Naruto whined. "Why? Can't we just have a night in?"

"You're the one who wanted to get this whole thing over with sooner rather than later," Sakura reminded him. "Besides, I know you want to get those jinchuurikis back to Konoha as soon as possible." "We're only going to stay long enough to get you changed and then we'll be going out to dinner."

"Sakura," Naruto protested. "Sasuke tell her that it's not fair."

"It would be an honor to take you out tonight Naruto," Sasuke responded with a smirk.

"No fair," Naruto pouted.

"What do you think Sasuke," Sakura continued, "should we continue to go traditional or do you think something modern for your lovely wife to wear to dinner?"

"Traditional," Sasuke answered immediately. "Namiko looks fantastic in anything, but I love her in a kimono."

"You guys are ganging up on me," Naruto whined even as he allowed Sakura to push him into the room.

Sasuke smiled as he watched the door close behind them and it was only then that he noticed that Kakashi was also laughing too.

"I will never understand you three," Kakashi said as he took out his Icha Icha Paradise when he finally got over his laughing fit. "Sometimes you guys act so old that I forget that you're still just gennin and then you have moments like this where I finally see you guys having fun. You don't do it enough."

"You're still suspicious of us then?" Sasuke asked with his eyebrow raised.

"Of course," Kakashi nodded. "How could I not be when you three are obviously planning something behind our backs? But now I'm more concerned than anything. You guys spend so much time worrying about your mission that I don't think you ever even attempt to just have fun. It's not healthy for kids your age."

"Sometimes I really hate moments like these," Sasuke divulged, "because I know that soon we will have to go back to concentrating on our mission. Every moment that we spend playing around is another moment that could lead to our failure. Everything that we have sacrificed until this point will be for nothing."

"I think that's the most honest that you've ever been with me," Kakashi said somewhat astonished. "Is this a day of sharing?"

"No," Sasuke shook his head. "We've come this far. Just let us do what we need to to finish our mission."

"It might be better for you guys to let more people in on this top secret mission," Kakashi tried. "What will you do when it comes to the end and you fail? Or worse, someone dies."

"I love Naruto Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke replied, "so I won't ever betray his trust even if it is to save his life. Never again."

"I understand how you feel," Kakashi sighed. He would have said something more, probably went off on some sort of lecture about how that sometimes it was necessary to betray someone in order to protect them, but he was interrupted when a kunai was suddenly stabbed into the object nearest to Sasuke.

"You don't know anything," Sasuke growled, "so don't pretend that you know us. You haven't even tried to really get to know us. The only thing that you've been worried about is trying to get in on our mission, but that's not going to happen so just give it up."

"I will find out what's going on," Kakashi responded in his own nonchalant way in an attempt to diffuse the tension that was suddenly resting on Sasuke's shoulders while also reassuring him that he would do as he said and hopefully protect them from themselves.

"By then it will already be to late," Sasuke shook his head.

"What's wrong Naruto?" Sakura asked as she worked on his hair.

"Kakashi-sensei is digging again," Naruto sighed.

"He's not going to stop you know," Sakura replied. "As much as I hate to say this, he does care about us and he wants to protect us."

"I don't want him to get hurt," Naruto said.

"You can't stop everyone from getting hurt, Naruto," Sakura shook her head. "In the end we all suffer and we all die, but isn't it nice to have a little fun along the way."

"I'll protect them Sakura," Naruto said determinedly. "I'll protect them all."

"Not just you, Naruto," Sakura responded as she hugged him from behind. "You're not alone. Sasuke and I will always be by your side." Sakura had to hid her face in Naruto's shoulder after that because she could no longer hold back her tears. She was well aware that Naruto was hiding something from her and she didn't think that she really wanted to know what that something was, but she was more afraid of it than she could be of anything else because she knew that whatever it was would eventually destroy Naruto.

"I'm sorry Sakura," Naruto sighed. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm fine," Sakura shook her head. "It's nothing. Just promise me-" but she never finished the request because the moment she looked up, Sakura could see that whatever promise that she asked for would go unanswered and she didn't think she could really handle that right now.

"Let's get this mission over with," Naruto smiled encouragingly. "Maybe if we can finish this mission soon, we'll be allowed some time off."

"Promise?" Sakura asked.

"I promise," Naruto smiled.

"It's a deal then," Sakura nodded and held out her pinky, which was immediately seized by Naruto's own pinky for a pinky swear. "Let me just put the finishing touches on everything and then you'll be already for your date."

"I wish," Naruto laughed. "If only actual dates went this smoothly."

"You've just never been on a good date before," Sakura scolded. "I bet a date with Sasuke would go so smoothly that you wouldn't even get nervous."

"Like that's ever going to happen," Naruto smiled and neither of them was really certain if he was talking about his not getting nervous or going on a date with Sasuke, but neither chose to comment.